Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Minnesota
- Size:
- Small, a sesame seed (nymph: a poppy seed)
- Look for:
- Reddish-orange body, solid dark shield, black legs, no pattern
- Carries:
- Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan
Tick Identification in Minnesota
The ticks you are most likely to find in Minnesota, with photos and the size, color, and markings that tell them apart. Only the deer tick carries Lyme disease. Below the chart, see which types live in your county.
Carries Lyme
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Established in Minnesota
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Reported in Minnesota
- Size:
- Medium, rounded
- Look for:
- Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
- Carries:
- Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
Brown dog tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Found nationwide, the one tick that infests homes and kennels indoors
- Size:
- Medium, narrow body that tapers toward the head
- Look for:
- Uniform reddish-brown, no ornate markings
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, canine diseases
Gulf Coast tick
Amblyomma maculatum
A southern tick spreading north into the mid-Atlantic
- Size:
- Large, bigger than a lone star
- Look for:
- Silvery ornate markings on the shield, no single dot
- Carries:
- Rickettsia parkeri spotted fever
Asian longhorned tick
Haemaphysalis longicornis
A newer arrival, established in the mid-Atlantic and spreading north
- Size:
- Small and plain, often found in large numbers
- Look for:
- Reddish-brown with no markings
- Carries:
- Mainly a livestock threat; human disease risk under study
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Not established in Minnesota
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white and gray marbled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia
Pacific Coast tick
Dermacentor occidentalis
Not established in Minnesota
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Minnesota establishment is shown for the three ticks CDC tracks by county; the others carry a regional range note. Source: CDC tick surveillance (ArboNET Tick Module), 2025. County surveillance is coarse: “not established” is a lack of records, not proof a tick is absent.
Deer, dog and lone star ticks by Minnesota county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Minnesota: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.
| County | Deer tick | American dog tick | Lone star tick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitkin County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Anoka County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Becker County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Beltrami County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Benton County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Big Stone County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Blue Earth County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Brown County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Carlton County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Carver County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Cass County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Chippewa County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Chisago County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Clay County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Clearwater County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Cook County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Cottonwood County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Crow Wing County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Dakota County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Dodge County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Douglas County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Faribault County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Fillmore County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Freeborn County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Goodhue County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Grant County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Hennepin County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Houston County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Hubbard County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Isanti County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Itasca County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Jackson County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Kanabec County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Kandiyohi County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Kittson County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Koochiching County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Lac qui Parle County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Lake County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Lake of the Woods County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Le Sueur County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Lincoln County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Lyon County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Mahnomen County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Marshall County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Martin County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| McLeod County | Reported | Established | Not established |
| Meeker County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Mille Lacs County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Morrison County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Mower County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Murray County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Nicollet County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Nobles County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Norman County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Olmsted County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Otter Tail County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Pennington County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Pine County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Pipestone County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Polk County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Pope County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Ramsey County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Red Lake County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Redwood County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Renville County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Rice County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Rock County | Reported | Reported | Not established |
| Roseau County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Scott County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Sherburne County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Sibley County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| St. Louis County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Stearns County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Steele County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Stevens County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Swift County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Todd County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Traverse County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Wabasha County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Wadena County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Waseca County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Washington County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Watonwan County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Wilkin County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Winona County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Wright County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Yellow Medicine County | Established | Not established | Not established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is reported in Minnesota. Its bite can cause alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.
Do not overlook the tiny ones
Nymph deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed and cause most Lyme cases in Minnesota because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of ticks live in Minnesota?
- Minnesota has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease and is established across the state; the American dog tick, which is established; and the lone star tick, which is reported and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
- Which Minnesota tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Minnesota. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Minnesota?
- Yes. The lone star tick is reported in Minnesota. It causes alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
- How can I tell these ticks apart?
- Use size, color, and legs. The deer tick is small with a reddish-orange body, a solid dark shield, and black legs. The American dog tick is larger and brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield. The female lone star tick has a single white dot on her back. The chart above shows each one.